It’s 8 pm on New Year’s Eve. Berlin hosts the largest outdoor celebration in the world, where over a million people pack a few blocks and brave through a foot of dirt fireworked flavored slurpee to ring in the new year. There’s no open container law in the country, and it’s the only day where civilians can carry explosives, so…imagine the thrill. And it’s BERLIN! Holy Amazing buildings, history and the juxa-position of Prussia, Nazi, and Soviety Rule… So, of course, I am snapping away with my silvery Exilim, my trusted traveling companion and way to coping with the overstimulation of traveling and living overseas. there are too many images to capture. The sights burn themselves with untrusting humor into my hippocampus, but I look for slices of life to share with others, especially for my blog. You see, this camera, has become a safe spot for me. I hold it more than a dozen times each week. the evening before, I snapped pictures of cilantro potato stuffed rabbit tacos, and a homeless toothless german woman selling roasted chestnuts to say “hey, this is me. I was here.” A way to mark that yes, I am living, and yes, this moment is temporary, and yes, others want to share it with me. I am loving my casio so much, I take off my gloves and in the largest outdoor gathering in the world, start snapping pictures of the infamous Bradenburg Gate, and the haunting remanants of the east and west germany. I guess some one else must have admired its sexy shots as well. A few minutes later, stuffing my camera in my pocket, I realize my camera packet is not there. Sure…in the camera pouch my friend brought back from Nigeria (GRR!) there was only 30 Euro in cash ( GRR!) and one credit card (GRR!)….so I guess I was lucky….but so sad to LOSE such a prized possession.

Oh, but wait…the rest of the night went like a horror story. At Bradenburg Gate, I was accosted in a mosh pit, thrown up on, got separated from my brother who is from the States and did not have contact information. Realizing I had no money, I thought I could jump on a train for free. Okay? Berlin moved it’s celebration to the BaunHof, where drunken partygoers lit off fireworks on the rails, and attempted to bombard the train and fill them up with people. Seriously? in that train all I could think of was “sardines” and that still doesn’t describe the fear that someone would trample or throw fire on someone. Then, after waiting an hour waiting for a free train, I was then was mugged from a drunk Finn attempting to get my IPHONE. All in all, I am super happy not to be part of a group tramp or hurt by drunken fireworks.

Oh! All in the name of a good picture. After stopping my used credit cards, I writing you right now, because more than anything, Iam devasted about the loss of this camera.
How to live without it?

Some say it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

I protest this logic. My eyes are dark.

Respectively,

Not feeling uber-special K.

THUS, NO PICTURES from Berlin! Except one…from an IPHONE.

But stay tuned for stories about Mad-Libbing 101 in 1001 Days during a pub crawl and a body treatment at a German indoor tropical island!

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6 thoughts on “BR. BR. BR. BERLIN!”

AHHH, what an experience!! I’m so sorry to hear about your camera. I don’t know what I would do without mine…..ugh. I hope you can figure out a solution, but for now, enjoy the new year as much as you can!